New memorial unveiled to Gourdon fishermen

On Tuesday, a new stained glass window in the Maggie Law Maritime Museum, was unveiled by the Lord Lieutenant of Kincardineshire, Carol Kinghorn, as a memorial to the fishermen of Gourdon who were lost at sea.

Viscount and Viscountess Arbuthnott will attend the event as guests, with Viscount Arbuthnott attending in his capacity as Depute Lord Lieutenant of Kincardineshire.

The dedication service for this lasting memorial will be provided by the Reverend Dennis Rose, and eight descendants of one of the fishing families who suffered a tragic loss, will be in attendance.

The window, which has been commissioned by the Museum, and designed and crafted by Fiona Paterson, of the Mearns Art House, Stonehaven, will form the centrepiece of a memorial wall in the Upper Deck of the Museum. This will also display memorial plaques dedicated to all the Gourdon fishermen and families who lost their lives at sea.

Dave Ramsay, Project Director, said: “This is an important new community contribution by the Museum, which serves two main purposes. The first is to ensure that there is a lasting memorial to the fishermen of Gourdon, and this will take its place along with the Farquhar Memorial and the War Memorial, ensuring that the memory of the bravery of the Gourdon fishermen, and their families are always remembered.

“Secondly, this will enable visitors, relatives and the community, to gain further information about certain aspects of their family history, and to contribute to local community heritage knowledge at the same time.”

A new service, which will help to piece together family history and maritime heritage, is to be launched on the Maggie Law website this weekend, to coincide with the memorial event.

This new service is exactly what a 21st century Museum should be about, by opening access to visitors, tourists, locals and families, and contributing in a two way process, to preserve the rich maritime and fishing heritage of Kincardineshire.

The memorial event will be followed by a reception at the Harbour Bar, Gourdon, where it is highly likely that new connections and stories will emerge.